Your Touch
by Jeremy Harper
Summary: There are times when a touch can say and mean more than any words ever can. A series of romantic and sensual vignettes detailing Ranma and Akane quietly growing closer after the events at Ryugunzawa.
1. Your Hand in Mine

Your Touch

By

Jeremy Harper

Note – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and is used without permission.

Chapter 1 - Your Hand in Mine

They sat close together, closer than they ordinarily would, for they had the house to themselves tonight, and the memory of Ryugunzawa was still fresh. A Hong Kong kung fu film played out bombastically on the television, and Akane seemed absorbed by it, laughing now and then at how ridiculously serious the movie treated its over-the-top plot. Ranma paid it but superficial attention, the lion's share of his awareness focused on Akane – in particular on her hand on her lap. Her hand - small, soft yet strong - had felt so good in his when they hiked home from Ryugunzawa; they had not let go of each other until they reached the outskirts of Nerima. He had since discovered he regretted not saying to her then the thoughts that ran through his mind during their journey home. Perhaps it was a good thing he kept his peace. He had no proficiency with words; they almost always betrayed him. This rationalization provided no comfort. The regret remained.

Ranma glanced at Akane's hands out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to hold them again, the temptation to do so pulsing in his chest like a second heart. He tried to stifle it, but it refused to relent, springing back up stronger after each attempt. He shifted restlessly, turning his head away when Akane looked at him quizzically. He was afraid she would guess his thought and call him a pervert, but she said nothing and returned her attention to the movie.

He sneaked another peak at her hands and wondered if he should remove himself from temptation all together by retiring early. He did not want to, though. He liked spending time with Akane, especially when there was no one around to bother them. Maybe… maybe he could just give in to impulse? She had not minded holding hands before, so why should she object now? And what was the worst that could happen if she did not want to? She would whack him one, big deal. Almost everyone had taken a whack at him at one time or another. Pain was but a momentary inconvenience, to be endured as stoically as possible until it passed. Yet he cringed inwardly at the thought of Akane kicking him through the roof for daring to take her hand. Physical pain was nothing, but the other kind of pain such an action would engender in him he wanted no part of. He needed to get away from her for a minute so he could think clearly… "Do you want something to drink?"

"Yes please. Just a soda." Ranma gratefully retreated to the kitchen. He fetched two bottles of soda from the fridge, and then took a moment to center himself. It was enough to help him make a decision. He returned to the living room, sitting back down next to Akane and giving her a soda, which she accepted with thanks. As she took dainty sips from her drink Ranma struggled to keep his determination from faltering. He took a deep swallow from his soda and waited for her to put hers on the table. When she did, he slowly reached over and hesitantly covered her right hand with his left.

Akane blinked and looked down at her lap at Ranma's hand on hers, startled beyond measure. She looked up at her fiancé; he was staring straight ahead at the television, yet did not really seem to be watching it. His body was tensed up, as if he expected to need to move quickly on short notice. A slight blush, growing deeper with each passing moment, colored his face. Without looking he gave her hand a gentle pat.

Ranma waited for the explosion the pessimistic part of him kept saying was inevitable. It never came. Instead he felt Akane's hand turn under his, her slim fingers wrapping around his hand and giving it a soft squeeze. Ranma dared to look at her, and found her gazing up at him, her smile gentle and pleased. Ranma released the breath he had not realized he was holding, feeling nervous tension drain from his body. He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand in turn. Her smile grew a trifle larger, and she scooted closer to him, their shoulders almost touching.

They watched the remainder of the movie in silence, hands clasped, occasionally giving each other an affectionate squeeze, their thumbs in constant motion, tracing gentle patterns. All too soon the end credits played, and Akane gently, reluctantly, removed her hand from Ranma's. "Good night, Ranma," she murmured.

"Good night, Akane." They smiled at each other, and Akane leaned over to bump her shoulder gently against his before standing up to go to her bedroom. Ranma watched her go, then stepped out into the yard to sit on a rock by the koi pond, staring up at the stars, dimmed by the Tokyo lights but still discernible. He felt as if he could jump up and snatch them out of the sky, and he could not stop smiling.

* * *

Author's Notes: This is the first chapter of an open-ended series of romantic vignettes, exercises in sensuality, detailing Ranma and Akane growing closer after their adventure in Ryugunzawa.

Rhetorical Question of the Night: After reading this, can you believe that my favorite author is Robert E. Howard?

For whatever it is worth,

Jeremy Harper


	2. Embraceable You

Your Touch

Your Touch

By

Jeremy Harper

Note – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is used without permission.

Chapter 2 – Embraceable You

The sounds of combat echoed from the Tendo Dojo: loud, feminine shouts; the crack and snap of hard thrown punches and kicks; the occasional smack of flesh striking flesh; the rhythmic stamp of bare feet. Within the dojo Akane grinned as she pressed her attack on Ranma. For once, her fiancé was taking a spar with her somewhat seriously. Admittedly he was not going all out, and dodged more often than he blocked, but he was not playing his usual game of keep-away with her. Instead he was trying to out-maneuver her, forcing her off-balance, and upon doing so rap her lightly with his knuckles on the areas where she left herself open. This happened with frustrating frequency at the beginning of the spar, but Akane quickly perceived the flaws in her defenses Ranma was so effectively pointing out and adjusted her forms accordingly. She noticed Ranma's eyes gleam approvingly as she became harder to tag, and his smile, while smug, also seemed proud.

Akane threw a three-punch sequence aimed at Ranma's chest and face in an attempt to open his guard. He parried with ease and countered with a deceptively languid strike at her cheek. She ducked, her dodge flowing into a sweep. Ranma back-flipped over her leg, and Akane somersaulted back with a squeak of surprise, just avoiding the bicycle kick Ranma incorporated into his flip. She pushed herself up, setting to charge Ranma, who was all ready on guard, waiting for her next attack, when the timer they set buzzed, calling an end to the match. The two teens slipped out of guard, relaxing. Ranma shrugged his shoulders, cricked his neck, and ambled over to Akane. "Not bad, Akane," he said. "Not bad at all." Akane tensed involuntarily, waiting for the snide comment that would make the compliment back-handed. It never came. Ranma's smile was warm, the admiration in his eyes honest. Akane bowed her head shyly. "Thank you, Ranma."

Ranma nodded. "C'mon, let's cool down." He started a basic kata, Akane following suit, mirroring his motions. For five minutes they performed silently, in slow unison, soothing the strains from their bodies with simple exercise. They ended by turning to face each other and mutually bowing. Akane smiled at Ranma, and he returned it briefly, then his mouth quirked, his expression becoming thoughtful, almost wistful. Akane canted her head. "Are you all right?" she asked. He looked away, the flush suddenly coloring his face in no way caused by exertion.

"Yeah," he answered, running a hand through his hair. "I'm fine. Just thinking about something, that's all."

"Oh? What about?"

Ranma started to fidget. "Just was remembering when I came back from fighting Herb… How you welcomed me home."

"Oh." Now Akane blushed, ducking her head to stare at the floor.

"Yeah. I…" Ranma hesitated. His voice dropped to less than a whisper, but Akane heard him distinctly. "I really liked that." Both teens were blushing deeply now, looking everywhere around the dojo save for at each other. Suddenly Ranma shook his head. "I'm an idiot," he muttered as he made to leave. He stopped when he felt Akane grab the cuff of his shirtsleeve. The look she gave him was tender, her eyes bright with a kind of longing he never seen from her before. She stepped close, her arms slipping around him. She laid her head against his broad chest, smiling as she listened to the jackrabbit thrum of his heart.

Ranma stood frozen in Akane's embrace, not yet believing what his eyes and body reported. Holding hands had been one thing, but this… again, he had expected to get walloped for being a pervert, and again he found he had misjudged his fiancée. A wash of guilt made him feel unworthy; he started to pull out of her hug, but she pressed closer to him, her hold tightening, whispering out a sigh of contentment. Ranma tilted his head back slightly, his eyes falling closed, Akane's freely given affection dispersing his guilt and trepidation. The feel of her body, soft and shapely and strong, cleaving so close to him… nothing he felt before compared to this. His arms lifted, encircling her shoulders, returning her hug. She sighed again, shifting pleasantly against him, stroking a hand slowly up and down his back.

An eternity all too short passed, and after squeezing each other one last time they mutually parted their embrace. To Ranma, it seemed as if Akane was glowing, her smile solar in radiance. "I'll see you inside, Ranma," she whispered. As she walked past him she caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. When she left the dojo, Ranma collapsed to the floor in a sitting position, reveling in the warmth of his euphoria.

Author's Comments

M. Zephyr – I'll try my best to maintain the innocent feeling of Ranma and Akane's growing closeness. It will definitely remain affectionate, caring, and loving, and in no way raunchy and tasteless.

Thanks to everyone who had kind words for this story and The Memory of Silver and Sapphire. I currently plan on writing at least one more vignette in this series for the immediate future, and then will try my hand at an adventure story.

For whatever it is worth,

Jeremy Harper


	3. Balm for a Bad Day

Your Touch

By

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is used without permission.

Chapter 3 – Balm for a Bad Day

Akane glared up at Ranma, and from the fence Ranma glowered back at her then pointedly looked away, across the canal. Akane huffed, staring down at the pavement with a frown as they walked home from school. She grimaced sharply as she recalled how terrible the day had been. It started with Kuno trying to glomp her the moment she walked through the gates – a minor annoyance, but serving as a herald for worse to come. Home Economics was where trouble truly started, with her attempt at baking brownies ending with a pan of brown goo, burnt and bubbling, so great a mess that even she could not pretend it was remotely edible. Her teacher threw up her hands in despair and Principal Kuno appeared out of nowhere, stating he was sorry, but the school rules were clear: "A wahine who can't cook no brownie don't get promoted to da next grade!" He then declared that he would benevolently see to it himself that Akane learned this necessary skill. The commotion attracted spectators, among them Ranma, who just had to throw in his two yen in his tactless way about the chances of Akane learning how to bake. This set off a tremendous row between the two teens, which resulted in her punting him out a window and then decking the principal as she stormed off.

Matters grew worse at lunch when Ukyo decided to tease her about the brownie disaster, saying in her loudest voice it must be tough, being both uncute _and_ a lousy cook. Akane liked Ukyo –she honestly did – but the okonomiyaki chef could be very obnoxious when she chose to be. The two girls engaged in a screaming match, at the end of which Ukyo said: "Ranchan deserves a fiancée whose cooking doesn't need to be disposed of by a HazMat team!"

"If you want to spend the rest of your life feeding a brainless, bottomless pit, then be my guest!" Akane retorted. She turned to stomp back to home room and almost ran into Ranma. Pain flickered briefly across his face before smoldering anger buried it. "To think I was looking for you so I could apologize," he hissed. "But if that's all you think of me then you can forget it, tomboy!" A second fight erupted between them, even more heated than the first, but ending much differently; when her anger reached its limit and she went to whack him, he dodged her mallet with contemptuous ease and swept her legs out, dropping her on her rump. Everyone gasped in astonishment, and Akane felt her anger transform into shock and apprehension. Frozen on the ground, she just gaped after him as he stalked away like an angry cat.

The rest of the day passed in slow misery. Akane did not know which was worse – Ranma coldly ignoring her, Ukyo's gloating, triumphal grin, or the whispered rumors chasing around the classroom.

Akane's lips trembled and she swiped away the tears prickling in her eyes. She glanced warily at Ranma, feeling relieved, yet a trifle disappointed, that he was still staring out over the canal and had not noticed her distress. She looked away, pursing her lips tightly, hating the painful hollowness pressing against her heart, the odd soreness in her throat. She did not want to feel this way; she and Ranma had been getting along so well since their return from Ryugunzawa – holding hands whenever they could; the whispered, affectionate conversations they engaged in more and more often; the embrace they shared in the dojo this past Saturday. Even their arguments had changed, becoming more playful than acrimonious – until now. The fights today were throwbacks to their past behavior, and she did not want to fall away from the place she and Ranma somehow miraculously discovered. She hoped Ranma felt the same. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she needed to try. "Ranma," she said.

Ranma looked down at her, his expression still hard and angry. "What?"

"Come here."

Ranma's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

"Would you just get over here!" Akane snapped.

"So you can take a whack at me?" he snapped back, scowling. "Forget it!"

Akane opened her mouth to scream at him, but she choked on the angry words trying to form. Before Ryugunzawa it had been so easy to unleash her temper upon him, but now the thought of it made her feel sick. Her face crumpled and tears started to flow from her eyes. She quickly turned away from Ranma, bowing her head. "Ranma… please?"

Ranma bit at his lower lip, finally noticing how upset Akane seemed, the pleading, almost desperate note in her voice cutting deeply into his resistance. He felt horrible, and did not understand why – fighting with Akane never effected him this way before, but now it seemed as if a strong, implacable hand was squeezing his heart, that a serpent scaled with thorns twisted in his stomach. He hated these feelings, and hated the thought that Akane could be feeling anything remotely like this. He leaped off the fence, landing before her, facing her. Her head jerked up, startled by his sudden action, and Ranma felt a momentary twinge of panic when he saw the tears on her face. "All right, I'm here," he said, voice somewhat strained. "Now what?"

Akane looked at him blankly for a moment, blinking away her tears, then dropped her book bag and grabbed onto him, hugging him fiercely, burying her face in his chest. Ranma's breath rushed out of him in shock, and his eyes opened wide. He looked about wildly, finding to his immense relief no one was around to see them, and then focused his attention on his fiancée. She cleaved to him desperately, as if she was afraid he would disappear, or try to flee from her. Her entire body was rigid with tension, and her shoulders trembled slightly. He could hear little, choking gasps escape from her, and realized she was trying not to sob.

Ranma felt his heart twist painfully. He groped for a moment for words to comfort her, but, not trusting his mouth, decided on a different tactic for soothing his distraught fiancée. His arms came up around her shoulders and he gently but firmly hugged her, pressing his cheek against the side of her head, her silky blue-black hair tickling him. He rubbed her back with circular motions as he slowly rocked back and forth with her. "Shhhh… it's okay," he whispered softly in her ear. "Don't cry Akane… It's okay…" He felt the tension leave her, letting out a sigh of relief as her sobs stopped and her embrace became less desperate. She nestled against him, letting out a soft sigh of her own.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, after a minute.

"It's okay," he whispered back. "I'm sorry too." They held each other for a minute more before Akane gave him one last squeeze and pulled out of his arms. Her face was a little pale, and her eyes a little red, but her face was free of tears, and she was smiling.

"Thank you, Ranma."

Ranma ducked his head a little, scratching the back of it, feeling embarrassed by the open display of public affection they shared. "You're… you're welcome."

Akane picked up her book bag. "Oh, one more thing."

He looked up at her curiously and a bit warily. "Yes?"

Still smiling, she reached out and tapped Ranma on the tip of his nose with her forefinger. "Boop! Tag, you're it!" Then she was off like a lightning bolt down the street. Ranma blinked in confusion, then let out a shout of mock rage. "ARRRGH! You tricky little sneak! Come back here!" Akane blew a raspberry over her shoulder, and he ran after her, letting loose another shout that turned into a laugh half-way through. They chased each other all the way home, laughing together the whole way.

* * *

Thanks again to all those kind enough to comment on this series.

For what it is worth,

Jeremy Harper


	4. Ticklish

Your Touch

by

Jeremy Harper

Note – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is used without permission

Chapter 4 Ticklish

Saturday afternoon they had the house to themselves again, their family having gone out on various personal excursions. Ranma and Akane sat together in the living room in companionable silence, she reading a fantasy novel while he tried not to doze off while watching a martial arts tournament on television that was proving not as exciting as he hoped.

Akane bookmarked her novel and stood. "I'm getting a soda," she said. "Do you want one?"

Ranma covered his mouth as he yawned and nodded. "Yes please." Akane walked off to the kitchen, and he watched her out of the corner of his eye, admiring her legs and her stride. His mouth crooked in a sly smile as an idea occurred to him. Giving it some thought he decided it was worth trying – at the very least it would be entertaining. He turned his attention back to the television, waiting for Akane to return.

She came back into the living room a minute later, two bottles of soda in hand. She set them on the table and was starting to sit back down when suddenly Ranma grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her into his lap, her back against his chest.

Akane let out a little shriek of surprise. "Ranma! What are you doing?" Her fiancé smirked. "Duh. What does it look like, dummy?" he replied playfully. He hugged her, firm but gently. "You feel good, Akane." He pressed his face to her silky blue-black hair and inhaled softly. "Smell good, too."

Akane first bristled at being called a dummy, then felt herself start to melt when he complimented her. Then her pride asserted itself. "Very nice of you to say, Ranma.," she said in an icy tone. "Now let me up, please."

Ranma shook his head, the motion making her hair tickle his face. He pulled away, grinning. "Nope. Not 'til I get my fill."

"Ranma!" Akane shouted.

"Akane," he sing-songed back.

A soft growl rumbled in Akane's throat. She shifted slightly and glared over her shoulder at him. "Ranma, I'm warning you: if you don't let me go I'll make you regret this."

Ranma pretended to contemplate her threat for a moment before shaking his head again, still grinning. "Don't think so."

Akane looked away, closing her eyes. "Okay then." She took a deep breath. Then, with a speed that surprised Ranma, she turned in his lap and started to tickle him, her fingers darting up and running quickly up and down just underneath his arms. "WAAAH!" he cried out, eyes bulging as he fell on his back laughing uncontrollably. Akane started laughing too as she continued to tickle him. He squirmed and twisted beneath her ministrations, trying to slip free, but she was too cunning and he could not escape her touch. "So _that's_ how you want to be!" he managed to gasp out between laughs. His own hands blurred up and he reciprocated her tickles. Akane let out a happy shriek, her laughter redoubling.

They rolled on the floor together, laughing as they tickled each other, neither willing to quit and concede defeat – partly because of stubbornness, but mostly because they were enjoying themselves tremendously. What stopped it was an honest accident, totally unintentional; Ranma managed to pull free of Akane, leaving her on her back as his own hands skimmed up her bare leg and started to tickle the sole of her bare foot. She let out a squealing laugh, her loudest yet. Her leg jerked automatically and totally without meaning to she kicked, hitting Ranma in the jaw and sending him tumbling backwards out the open engawa doors. Akane gasped, quickly rising and running out to check on him. He was sitting upright on the lawn, shaking his head and rubbing his jaw. "Ranma! I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." she stuttered out, stopping when he glared at her. He opened his mouth to yell at her, but then checked himself. He blinked, then let out a huff of breath. He shook his head again and started to chuckle, forgiving her with his laughter. Akane gaped at him for a moment, then started to giggle herself as she plopped down on the engawa.

When they stopped laughing Ranma rubbed his jaw with rueful amusement. "Okay Akane, I'll give you this much – you made me pay for it. But I don't regret it."

"You're weird, Ranma," Akane replied, looking at him with warm affection. Ranma kipped up to his feet and grinned at her.

"Duh, no kidding. You just figure that out now?" He walked back into the house. As he passed her he reached out and ruffled her hair. She gave him a playful swat on the rear that made him laugh. She watched him take his soda off the table and head for his room. When he was out of sight she looked out at the koi pond, drawing a leg up, wrapping an arm around it and resting her chin on her knee. She could not remember the last time she felt so happily content, and hoped the feeling would be long in fading.


	5. Getting Bolder

Your Touch

By

Jeremy Harper

Note – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is used without permission.

Chapter 5 Getting Bolder

"You stupid jackass!" Ukyo Kuonji screamed as she struck Ryoga Hibiki with her battle spatula with all of her considerable strength. The underhand swing sent the Lost Boy catapulting into the air, arcing high above the tops of the mountain trees. Ukyo watched the trajectory of his flight, her face flushed, her breathing heavy with anger and frustration. After Ryoga disappeared over the horizon she took one deep, exaggerated breath in an attempt to compose herself, then turned to face the two teens sitting on stools in front of the refreshment tent. Ranma Saotome and and Akane Tendo were watching her with wide-eyed, curious concern. Ukyo found herself somewhat unnerved – perhaps even a trifle embarrassed – by their regard. She shook her head and ran her fingers through her long, dark-brown hair, feeling frazzled. "I'm going back down to the train station," she muttered. "I'll see you there." She turned away hard on her heel and stomped off, muttering under her breath about idiot vagabonds and unperceptive ghosts.

"Are you _sure_ that they're going out?" Ranma murmured to Akane after Ukyo turned the bend of the trail and disappeared behind a copse of tall pines.

"Well, I _thought_ so," answered Akane. "It sure looked like it, the way they were acting in the caves. Like I said, healthy relationship, healthy fights?"

"Unh," Ranma grunted, finishing off his ice cream and throwing the stick into a waste bucket. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, threw that away as well, then sipped from a water bottle. "Well, I'll say this much – Ukyo has a good, solid swing. Bet Ryoga won't hit ground for another minute or two." He gave Akane a sly, sidelong smile. "You been giving her some pointers?" Akane's look, if it had not been diluted by affection and amusement, would have been quite withering.

"Baka," she said simply.

Ranma smirked. "Tomboy," he replied, taking another sip of water.

Akane finished her Popsicle, gently patted her mouth clean with a napkin, and threw her trash away. She did not answer Ranma, but instead sat still, her lips pursed in thought. She looked over her shoulder, into the refreshment tent, and saw that the attendant was out of sight. Smiling, she stood up from her stool, smoothing out her skirt with a downward motion of her hands. "Oh, Ranma-baka," she said in a sing-song tone, making him look up at her. He blinked when she stepped in front of him with a sashaying swing of her hips that made her skirt flare dangerously, and he took a deep breath when he saw her lovely Cheshire smile – a smile that was somehow angelic and devilish at the same time – and the playful gleam in her large brown eyes. She straddled his legs, sitting down in his lap and lacing her strong, slender arms around his neck, and he felt a hot thrill run through his blood. "May I ask you a question, Ranma?" Akane murmured in a breathy manner that made that thrill burn even hotter.

"Sure," Ranma said, feeling proud that he managed not to stutter.

"Back in the haunted caves, did you really mean it when you said you didn't want me hanging all over you?" She took his pigtail between two fingers and started to toy with it. For a reason he could not discern, Ranma found that the act of breathing was suddenly, oddly difficult.

"No," he finally managed to reply. Akane's smile turned into a pretty pout, and Ranma shivered, wondering why her pout made his blood burn even hotter than her smile had.

"Then if you didn't mean it, why did you say it?" Akane asked softly.

"...Because I'm an idiot?" Ranma ventured quietly. Akane smiled again, and Ranma felt himself flush very hard, and his breath rushed out sharply through his teeth.

"The judges will accept that answer," Akane murmured, and she leaned forward and embraced him, pressing hard against his chest, touching her check to his, sighing appreciatively when he hugged her back, his strong arms going around her shoulders and the small of her back and squeezing her with a wonderful pressure that made her wiggle a little in his lap. The sharp hiss of Ranma's sudden exhale tickled her ear and made her giggle, and his embrace tightened.

After a little while Akane loosened her hug and leaned back in Ranma's arms. "We better get going. Ukyo's waiting."

"Who?" Ranma asked. Akane laughed.

"Ukyo. Remember her, baka? The girl who dragged us both up here."

"Oh. Yeah, right." Ranma looked mazed for a moment, then shook his head and smiled at Akane as he let her go. Akane laughed, running her hands down Ranma's arms as she stood up, taking him by the hands and pulling him up. They walked down the trail to the train station holding hands.

Ukyo was waiting for them on the train platform, and when she saw the companionable way they were acting her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in a disapproving frown. Ranma flinched and shied away a little from Akane, but she checked him by giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. She returned Ukyo's sharp gaze with a challenging look of her own. Ukyo flushed angrily and turned away – this day had turned out no where near how she had planned. "The train should be here in five minutes," she grumbled before stalking off to the other side of the platform.

Akane sighed quietly, rubbing at her forehead with her free hand, then looked at Ranma. Her fiancé looked thoughtful, and a trifle sad, but when he returned her look his smile was honest and affectionate, and he squeezed her hand in return. Akane smiled back and bumped her shoulder against his. They sat quietly on a bench together, waiting for the train to arrive, still holding hands.


End file.
